Best Ways to Sell Pictures Online

Updated: March 6, 2025 Author: Vitaly

This material provides an overview of the best ways to sell photos online - for both amateur and professional photographers. We will consider popular photo stocks and marketplaces, their terms of cooperation, as well as opportunities for promoting your own brand. In addition, we will analyze how relevant this type of income is today.

Despite the popularity of generating photorealistic images using AI, this technology has not yet reached the level of replacing real photographs. First of all, this concerns the quality of the picture. Even the most advanced Midjourney neural network has strict restrictions on the maximum resolution of the generated photo, which does not exceed 2048 x 2048 pixels.

In addition, photographs created using AI have significant differences from the real object. For clarity, let's compare a real photo of Notre Dame Cathedral, downloaded from the photo stock Pexels, with images created in Google Gemini, Firefly Adobe and Dall-E 3 OpenAI.

Compared to a real photograph, generated images create only general outlines of the object. In this form, they cannot be used in commercial projects, except for memes on social networks. Therefore, the declared effectiveness of neural networks for creating high-quality images is greatly exaggerated. And given that user requirements for the quality of created content are only increasing, selling photos online remains a relevant way to generate income.

Popular photo stocks and marketplaces for selling photos online

Photo stocks are services where you can buy or download professional photographs, illustrations, vector images or video materials for free, but under certain conditions. The main clients are designers, marketers, bloggers and anyone who needs high-quality visual material for a project.

The presented services are the easiest way for amateur and professional photographers to monetize their creativity. All that is required is to create an account, provide payment information and upload photos. Depending on the conditions of the photo stock, the author is paid a commission for downloading a specific photo or a percentage of the premium subscription purchased by the client.

Marketplaces differ in that the photo is sold to a specific buyer with the transfer of all licensing rights for its use. In this case, the author himself sets the price of a specific photo.

Let's consider the most popular photo stocks and marketplaces where you can sell photos online.

123rf

123rf was founded in 2005. It provides users with access not only to stock photos, of which there are more than 150 million, but also to vector images, fonts, audio and video materials. The service provides flexible conditions for accessing content: free, by subscription, payment for each photo or image. Photographers, illustrators, videographers can upload their materials to 123rf and receive income for selling a license to use them (commission payments). The specific percentage of profit depends on the amount of content in the profile.

It is worth noting that the service has certain requirements for the quality and content of photographs, for example, photographs with a resolution of at least 6 megapixels are accepted. The terms of the license agreement only imply the transfer of rights to use the content by the client, authorship remains with the photographer. This means that you can use the photo on other stock sites as well.

123rf supports transferring photos via FTP, which significantly speeds up uploading a large number of photos.

Benefits of selling photos online through 123rf

• Quite a high commission for authors.
• Easily upload and check images.
• Supports different formats and methods for downloading content.

Disadvantages of selling photos online through 123rf

• Not the most popular among buyers.
• There is no guaranteed stable income.
• Restrictions on methods and minimum amount for withdrawal.

500px

500px is most often used by photographers as a portfolio platform, but it also has various options for monetizing content. First of all, this is a licensing program where authors receive up to 100% of the cost of selling photos online. The problem is that licensed content is subject to strict moderation and has high quality requirements.

In addition, in cooperation with the Pulsepx service, 500px holds various quests, the victory in which is rewarded with an appropriate fee. In most cases, participation is free, but there are contests that require an advance membership fee.

Benefits of 500px for Selling Photos Online

• The service has a large audience of both potential clients and colleagues.
• High commission for authors, which can reach 100% of the royalty.
• Additional earning opportunities through participation in quests.

Disadvantages of 500px for Selling Photos Online

• Not a stock in the traditional sense, the service is more focused on creating a portfolio than on mass sales,
• There are many talented photographers on the platform, and standing out requires outstanding images and active promotion.
• Lengthy processing of requests for withdrawal of funds, which lasts from 10 to 15 days.

Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock is part of the Creative Cloud ecosystem and opens up a huge market of potential buyers for photographers using Photoshop and other Adobe graphic design products. The maximum percentage of sales of non-exclusive licenses here reaches 35%, and depends not only on the activity of the author, but also on the tariff plan of a particular buyer.

The service is multi-format, so you can sell pictures here And video materials, thereby increasing your income.

Benefits of Adobe Stock for selling photos online.

• Direct integration with popular Adobe programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign makes it easy for customers to find and use images.
• A huge audience of potential buyers: designers, marketers, business owners.
• The platform has an intuitive interface that makes it easy to upload, attribute and manage content.

Disadvantages of Adobe Stock for selling photos online.

• Adobe Stock has high demands on image quality, which can be difficult for new photographers.
• High competition among authors.
• Photographers must carefully attribute their work, which takes time and effort.

Alamy

Alamy is one of the oldest photo stocks, founded in 1999. First of all, the service is focused on publishing houses, media, advertising and marketing agencies, design studios, so there are strict requirements for the quality of uploaded content. This is especially true for photographs. In return, photographers receive 50% of the commission, and students receive 100%. In addition to photographs, users can upload illustrations, video materials. It is worth noting the presence of an editorial section for the media and publishing houses, where you can sell materials from the scene of specific events (political, sports and other events).

You can even sell archival and historical photographs, even of individuals.

Benefits of Selling Photos Online on Alamy

• High interest rates for photographers.
• There are no exclusivity requirements, so the same photo can be posted on other photo stocks.
• Option to upload different types of content: photos, vectors, illustrations, videos.

Disadvantages of Selling Photos Online on Alamy

• A huge library of images reduces the chances of selling.
• Long moderation, which can take several days.
• Successful sales require careful attribution of each photo, description and selection of keywords.

Creative Market

Creative Market is a full-fledged marketplace for photographers, designers, illustrators. The service is a platform for selling any digital assets: photographs, designs, ready-made logos, layouts, 3D visualizations, mockups, videos. Creative Market's clients include large companies, small and medium-sized businesses, marketers, SMM specialists, and content managers. The peculiarity of selling photographs online on Creative Market is that there are no strict quality requirements. In addition, you can exhibit a whole package of thematic photographs or ready-made designs.

Posting on Creative Market is free, but for each digital asset sold, the service takes a commission of 50% of the cost of the product, while the user sets the price himself depending on the type of license (Personal, Commercial or Extended Commercial).

Benefits of Selling Photos Online Through Creative Market

• The author independently sets the cost of the work.
• The platform offers authors 50% of the sale price.
• There are built-in marketing tools, as well as the potential to get featured or featured on the front page.
• There are no strict requirements for the quality of uploaded photos, the main thing is that the buyer is satisfied.

Disadvantages of Selling Photos Online Through Creative Market

• The platform is focused mainly on graphics, layouts, templates and textures, so photographs as an independent product may not be sold as actively as on classic stocks.
• There are no restrictions on uploading AI-generated content, which increases competition.
• To successfully sell photos, additional work is required to present them, which takes more time than just uploading them on a regular stock.

Depositphotos

Depositphotos is one of the largest photo stocks, which since 2021 is owned by a company specializing in providing printing and marketing services for small businesses. Back in 2019, the number of files on the service amounted to more than 50 million.; They actively purchased and used by marketing agencies and designers around the world.

Selling photos online via Depositphotos is an opportunity to gain access to a multi-million paying audience. The problem is that the service is not very generous towards authors. The maximum possible is 38% royalties, which can be achieved if more than 150 thousand photos have been sold.

Depositphotos does not have strict requirements for image quality, which allows even amateur photographers to upload photos and earn passive income. However, this increases competition and reduces the cost of professional work.

Benefits of selling photos online through Depositphotos

• The platform operates in 192 countries and has over 250 million files in its library, attracting many clients from all over the world. This increases the chances of your photos selling.
• You can sell not only photos, but also vector images and videos (up to UHD). This allows you to diversify your portfolio and reach different categories of buyers.
• The site supports 20 languages ​​and offers 24/7 customer support. The interface is intuitive, making it easy to load and manage work.

Disadvantages of Selling Photos Online Through Depositphotos

• With a huge number of authors (more than 45 thousand) and files in the library, it is difficult to stand out. It may take time for newbies to get their work noticed.
• Most purchases occur through subscriptions, where the income per sale is no more than 38%.
• It is difficult to track the income from each photo, since the actual fee depends on the method of purchasing the photo (in a package or through a subscription).

Dreamstime

Dreamstime is a standout option for selling photos online, thanks to its competitive royalty rates of 60% and flexible pricing structures. Photographers can sell their images under both non-exclusive and exclusive licenses. While exclusive licenses can yield higher earnings, it's important to note that these images cannot be uploaded to other stock photo sites.

By working with Dreamstime, photographers gain access to a vast customer base of 55 million, which includes major corporations like HP, Autodesk, and Coca-Cola. However, the large number of buyers also attracts a multitude of contributors, with over a million designers and photographers showcasing their work. To compete effectively, it’s essential to offer high-quality, on-trend photographs.

In addition to standard JPEG images, Dreamstime accepts vector illustrations (AI, EPS, CDR), RAW files, videos, and even audio content. This variety provides opportunities for creators with different skill sets to monetize their work.

Benefits of Selling Photos Online on Dreamstime

• Dreamstime provides access to a huge audience of potential buyers from all over the world. You can upload a wide range of photos, from landscapes and portraits to product photography and abstract images.
• Extended licenses, exclusive sales and the ability to work with both editorial and commercial content are available.

Disadvantages of Selling Photos Online on Dreamstime

• There is a huge amount of photography on display, making it difficult to highlight and sell your work.
• The minimum withdrawal amount is $100.
• Despite higher interest rates, Dreamstime is less popular compared to Adobe Stock and therefore has lower sales volume.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock is a photo stock where you can find everything: from photographs, to 3D objects, music and sound effects. There are more than 545 million digital assets represented here, which makes the service a truly valuable source of various content materials for marketing and design projects.

Selling photos online through Shutterstock is a great opportunity to gain access to millions of potential buyers in over 150 countries. However, you need to be prepared for competition, and it's best to start at the beginning of the year when all author levels are reset. This is done in order to equalize the chances of all authors.

As with other photo stocks, income from selling photos online on Shutterstock depends on the number of downloads, the maximum value being 40% of the cost of the work. At the same time, the author cannot independently set prices; the calculation is based on the subscription of a particular user.

Advantages of selling photos online on Shutterstock

• A large audience that unites millions of users, including designers, marketers and publishers, which increases the chances of sales.
• Convenient interface, the ability to upload and edit works via the website or FTP.
• All authors are on equal terms due to the level being reset every new calendar year.

Disadvantages of selling photos online on Shutterstock

• A huge database of images makes it difficult to get into the TOP of the search results and receive a stable income.
• Shutterstock does not provide exclusive conditions for selling unique content.
• Resetting levels means that at the beginning of each year the author receives minimal commission payments.

Selling photos through your own website

Selling photos online through your own website may seem like a great idea. In this case, you get full control over the content, prices, design and brand. You don't have to pay a stock photo commission on every photo sale. Through your own website you can sell exclusive works, canvas prints, photo shoots, and courses. These are completely new opportunities to monetize your skills and creativity.

The problem is that creating and maintaining your own website to sell photos online requires both time and financial investment to attract traffic. No visitors - no sales.

How to create a website for selling photos?

There are two options for creating a website for selling photos: use special platforms for photographers (Squarespace, SmugMug, Zenfolio) or CMS (for example, WordPress + WooCommerce). The last option is advantageous because to get started you can get by with free plugins and design themes and only pay for hosting and domain.

It is worth noting that when choosing a hosting provider, it is important to pay attention to the absence of restrictions on the number of processes and connections, support for the latest versions of PHP and MySQL. Regarding the amount of available storage on the server, the choice depends on their format, resolution and compression level. For example, 50 GB is enough to save about 2,500 JPG photos measuring 6000 × 4000 px or 25,000 photos - 3000 × 2000 px.

Promoting a website for selling photos

For a website to generate income, it is important to attract traffic and convert visitors into buyers. Main methods of promotion:

• SEO (search engine optimization). Setting up a website and creating content relevant to the target audience for search engines to attract organic traffic.
• Social media. Promotion through Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, where visual content is especially popular.
• Content marketing. Maintaining a blog with useful articles about photography, educational materials and examples of work. 8 Paid advertising. Setting up targeted advertising in Google Ads and social networks.
• Collaborations and partnerships. Working with other photographers, bloggers and media to expand your audience.

Of course, most of these points can be done independently, but for more effective and faster progress you cannot do without the help of specialists. NIt is not necessary to hire full-time employees; you can order content or services for setting up an advertising account through freelance exchanges (Upwork, Fiverr).

What to choose: photo stock or your own website?

When you start selling your photographs, the question arises: work through photo stocks or create your own website? The answer depends on what you want to achieve, how much time and money you are willing to invest, and how serious you are about it.

Photo stocks are a ready-made platform with millions of buyers. You simply upload your pictures and they start working. There is no need to spend money on a website or its promotion - there are almost no investments. This is convenient, especially if you are just starting out or want to quickly see your first money. But there are also disadvantages: the competition is huge, it’s not easy to stand out among thousands of photographers, and most of the income goes to the stock photo site due to their commissions. In most cases, you cannot set your own prices or terms, and the rules of the game may change without your consent. Who is it suitable for? For beginners, those looking for an easy start, or photographers who don't want to bother with marketing.

Having your own website means complete freedom. You decide what to sell and how, set prices and build your brand. No commissions, all income is yours. You can offer not only photos, but also exclusive works, photo sessions or even courses. But there is a nuance: you will have to invest in creating a website and promoting it. It takes time to attract visitors and skill (or budget) for marketing. This path is for those who have already gotten their hands on photography, want long-term growth and are ready to invest in themselves.